欧州自転車レース追っかけ日記

The stem arrived from Japan
Fedex sent me a short message on my phone several days ago that I was expecting a package delivery (or a package delivery was expected) on Wednesday, 29th of November.

On that day, I was staying home to receive it but the tracking information said that it was still held at the Fedex base in Luxembourg. Naturally, I did not get it.

One day later (Thursday, November 30th) I got it in the morning. I was home. I checked the contents of the package as the ebay seller provided only a short description of the item but did not provide the detailed specs.

It turned out that it was just as I expected it to be. I was happy.

AliExpress purchases Part II
1. Pet carrier - extendable
2. Cat litter bag - foldable
3. Brompton Clamps
4. Brompton Stem catch
5. Brompton Cable stop
6. Brompton Cargo stay
7. Brompton Front fork catch
8. Brompton Seatpost - carbon

1. Pet carrier - extendable

This is for my beloved Hannah. I have a smaller carrier but I want to take her on a longer trip in a train or bus, where letting her use the bathroom is necessary, which leads to the next item.

2. Cat litter bag - foldable

This is the bathroom.

3. Brompton: Clamps

The genuine Brompton clamps work but people like to make their Brompton look different. There was a little surprise when I opened the package and examined the contents.

There was a pictogram used often by Brompton itself. This pictogram is a line art of 3 Brompton bike profiles; 1. ready to be ridden, 2. halfway folded and 3. folded. You know what I am talking about, right?

On the AliExpress site, there are many photos of this product but this pictogram is cleverly hidden and is not visible. The manufacturer, LitePro, seems to be careful not to provoke Brompton by using their (probably but I am not sure of it) registered pictogram. They (LitePro) are using it anyway but they (LitePro) are careful not to spread their possible trademark (?) infringement by showing it on the Internet.

They (clamps) seem to be strong enough to withstand the stress from the use to me even though I have never owned nor used Brompton bike before.

4. Brompton Stem catch

The genuine Brompton part will certainly do the job but I bought it anyway. The genuine part seems (remember that I have never owned a Brompton much less touched it) to be made of rubber.

5. Brompton Cable stop

My future Brompton may be equipped with mudguards or not. I intend to remove them anyway. The cable connecting the brake lever and the front caliper brake body runs over the front tire. It does not rub the tire thanks to the mudguard but will do without the presence of the mudguard.

This small piece of (cute?) Koala (?) bear shaped metal deflects the cable a bit far away from the rotating tire. It is supposed to work in that way. The photo (from the seller on AliExpress) shows a bike with the mudguard but it is supposed to be not there if used correctly.

The Koala bear hanging on to a tree branch looks pretty, doesn't it?

6. Brompton Cargo stay block

Many (not all but most) Brompton bikes come with a genuine cargo stay block made of some plastic on them. It works but this looks prettier.

7. Brompton Front fork catch

As I had already written about my intention to remove the mudguards (front and rear if my phantom Brompton come with them - mudguards - installed), I found it necessary to buy this piece. The genuine Brompton front fork catch (I don't know the correct name for it) seems (ditto) to be already attached to the mudguard. I will certainly need this when I am right about it.

As of this writing, this has not yet arrived.

8. Brompton Seatpost - carbon

I am attracted to black color in general. So I intend to swap the genuine Chorome plated seatpost with this black one.

As of this writing, this has not yet arrived.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Let it snow, baby!]の続きを読む

テーマ:自動車の整備＆修理 - ジャンル:車・バイク

1. 2023/11/30(木) 14:09:30|
2. Bikes and related things
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A Birdy stem purchased! (from Japan)
I have a Birdy. I have owned it since early 2003 or late 2002. I really don't remember when I bought it.

I did not know much about bicycles until I bought it and began reading magazines and books to maintain my own Birdy (back then in Japan it was dubbed as BD since Suzuki, the motorcycle manufacturer, owned the name "Birdy"). This name issue (trade mark registered "&tr;") has been resolved evidently and now they are named Birdy in Japan by the way.

Currently it is in a bad shape. It came with Shimano "Capreo" components originally. They were good but the shifter has been deteriorated. I am trying to do some renovation work on it.

Anyway, there was something I did not like about my Birdy, the stem. My Birdy came with a silver height adjustable backward-leaning stem. Backward-leaning, in this case, means that the stem is leaning toward the rider. I did not like it so much that I installed a normal ahead stem to make the handlebar far away from the rider (me).

I learned that this part could be obtained through Pacific Cycle's online shop (or could be through its authorized distributors) but it cost (this is the verb "cost" in the past tense) much. I was looking for a cheaper alternative, namely, a used one.

I found this slightly cheaper stem on ebay and I decided to get it.

Birdy stem is arriving (with Fedex)
I suddenly had a short message from Fedex and I was a bit puzzled until I realized that I was expecting a package from Japan but did not know which transportation company was responsible for it as the ebay seller did not post the tracking information on the ebay system.

The stem coming from Japan has traveled less than a week and is arriving soon (Wednesday). I have to swap them (the current stem to the new one).

I am happy that I found this stem at a relatively low and reasonable price even after including the shipping cost.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Birdy stem and the search for a Brompton]の続きを読む

テーマ:自動車の整備＆修理 - ジャンル:車・バイク

1. 2023/11/30(木) 10:11:13|
2. Bikes and related things
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Old Bromptons, newer ones and latest ones
There are obviously several versions after occasions of redesigning and innovation. I did not know much about Brompton a few month ago.

I am no expert nor a aficionado of Bromptons but I did some slight research to know what I was getting if I was geting one. As I am planning to get a second-hand used Brompton, I wanted to know if I was getting a good deal or not. I wanted to know what options and choices I had.

A big change came around 2004 or 2005 when the main frame was redesigned. As a result the wheelbase got extended.

Not all Brompton sellers on ebay specify the model year of the bike. On these occasions when only photos are available to know the specifications where the sellers are very terse. Pictures tell thousands of words.

The latest T-line Brompton are quite different from its predecessors. Integral headset, carbon front fork and other small details separate itself from others.

This genuine authentic real Brompton full (except for the fork) Titanium bike is different from Chinese unauthentic rip-off copies. Chinese Titanium copies are just like old Brompton bikes but made in Titanium.

I am looking for and trying to get one for me. I don't have a big budget. I don't aim at getting this Titanium Brompton. I am trying to get a long wheelbase Brompton (post-2004 or post-2005 model).

Let's see!


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Brompton bikes, winter tires and the EU tarifs]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車（スポーツ用） - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2023/11/22(水) 15:33:13|
2. Diary
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A second consecutive loss for me
The ebay Brompton purchase was just another (as I had already had one) scam. I reported the matter to ebay and the refund process began promptly after my complaint).

That was Saturday afternoon.

Friday (one day before this revelation) I found 3 listings from Austria similar Bromptons with similar prices with the same "Buy it now" option. The similarities don't stop there. The account names are also similar. Seemingly 4 (or 5) random alphabet letters followed by 5 or 6 digits of numbers. Their selling record shows "zero" transactions at all and they have just recently joined ebay. Are they all done by one person or a group of perpetrators?

I am disappointed and mad but it is ebay's responsibility to stop them. Stop those criminals!


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [A lot of scams? on ebay]の続きを読む

テーマ:海外情報 - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2023/11/16(木) 13:18:23|
2. Miscellaneous stuff
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Everything I ordered arrived safely (AliExpress)
I am happy that everything arrived alright. I read (after searching on the Internet) some of the reviews of AliExpress before I shopped at AliExpress.

I understood that the purchase on AliExpress was considered by many users to be safe. I still had some doubts when I made the purchase but my first purchase came through. I want some more items for my Brompton as some of them are not available (or at least it seems that they are not available) on other sources like ebay, Amazon or other online shops.

Other items that I want are wheels (with 7-speed cassette capable hub), a 7-speed shifter, an 11-28 cassette and other cosmetic small parts.

ebay Send? I don't remember seeing this before
My Brompton from Austria has been shipped according to the tracking information so far. I hope it arrives here soon.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Next purchase soon?]の続きを読む

テーマ:自動車の整備＆修理 - ジャンル:車・バイク

1. 2023/11/10(金) 00:54:35|
2. Bikes and related things
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My first experience with AliExpress
When I decided to buy an ebay Brompton from the UK a while ago, I knew that I had to deal with AliExpress. Why? Because having a Brompton makes me customize or modify it. And this requires buying items from AliExpress all the way from China. Most of them are also available on ebay (direct from the same seller on AliExpress or from resellers) but these tend to be more expensive than on AliExpress.

I had know AliExpress long even before this purchase. I did not want to deal with it as I felt not too secure with it. This time I had to face it. So I did.

I ordered 6 items from 5 stores. They began to arrive fairly promptly, which surprised me.
The first item is this bag.
(image 01: Front bag featuring the Union Jack)


I thought it would be fit to show my respect to Brompton (and its creators) by putting up the Union Jack.

I would like to remind the reader (non-existent anyway, I know but ...) that the first Brompton that I thought I bought did not arrive. It was a scam. I was a victim of a fraud. I got my money back as this Brompton was covered by ebay's Money Back Guarantee. I kept looking for another Brompton and found one and subsequently bought it. It has not yet arrived. The first ghost Brompton was painted in BLACK and the second yet-to-arrive Brompton is painted in ORANGE (maybe the name Brompton dubbed is FIRE CORAL) , which fact makes some of the AliExpress purchase of my choice awkward.

I thought red anodized parts would make a good accent color on black frame. Now what I have or will have is a contrast of red on orange, which in my amateur eyes, not too

These are the red one. The BB-bottom guard that protects the paint on the bottom of the BB area. I think the BB bottom gets scratched by the tire? The second item is the wheels that land on the ground when folded. The axle is a telescopic one so the bike becomes more stable.

(image 02: BB-guard?)

(image 03: Wheels with an extending axle to make the bike stand more stable)

This is a skinny-looking seat post clamp made of Titanium.

(image 04: Seat post clamp made of Titanium)

This makes lifting the bike easier when folded or not. I don't know if I need it.

(image 05: Wrapping grip on the frame tube to lift the bike easily and firmly)

I got two of them. It has one tool built-in. A spanner that fits 15 mm, 10 mm and 8 mm nuts. It fits inside the frame tube (2004 or 2005 and later frames?)

(image 06: Toolbox that could be stacked neatly in the frame tube)

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [AliExpress is trustworthy?]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車（スポーツ用） - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2023/11/06(月) 02:36:12|
2. Bikes and related things
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The last (I hope) Stinger (?)
Let's get to the business, shall we? Its serial number is "025539 0416". I don't know why they at Streamlight adopted this kind of (or this style of) serial number. How do I decipher them? The first 6 digit number, then a space and then 4 digit number.

My latest Ultra Stinger (the latest LED version with the rubber grip wrapped around the body) collection is a used one and came from the United States of America.

025539 is not a prime number. 25,539 = 3 x 8,513
0416 is an even number so it can never be a prime number.

So in all, my latest addition to my flashlights family does not have a prime number for its serial number. Actually, the ebay photos did not show the serial number at all, so when I decided to buy it, I did not know whether it had one. It was just inexpensive including the shipping cost.

It is beautiful (no visible flaws). It came with an AC adapter and the cradle complete with a working battery pack. It is bright. It is, as far as my eyes can see, brighter than my Mag-Lite (4 C-cell) with an LED bulb upgrade (claiming to have maximum 525 Lumens).

It is much much much brighter than my incandescent bulb Ultra Stingers, anyway.

I can not say definitely that I will never ever buy another Streamlight Stinger family flashlights in the future but I am quite convinced that I have had enough of them. Thank God!


Raw lacquer color Bromptons, are they worth something?

What does a raw lacquer on some Brompton bikes consist of? I can not find any direct answers on the Internet?

Some people tried to repair the rusted spots with "gun blue" liquid. It seemed to work at least when he made the video. He seemed to cover the repaired spots with clear lacquer.

A comment on his YouTube video suggested that ACF-50 liquid should work better. I searched both of them on Amazon (Germany) and found some products. Now I know what I should do when I had blemish spots on a raw lacquer color Brompton bike.

Do I own a raw lacquer color Brompton? No, I don't. I am considering.

What colors do I like? Black. I say Black.

The fist car I ever bought (as a new car because when choosing used cars sometimes I did not have any other choice of colors other than the one available within the budget) was a black Toyota pickup truck when I was living in the United States of America. The second car was a black and silver Smart (first generation) as there was no mono-tone color Smart. This was when I was living in Japan.

The third car was a black Ford Ka. The fourth car is the current Mazda MX-5 and it is black. My Birdy (which I bought back in 2003 in Japan) is a black one. Most of my clothes are in black.

So naturally, I prefer dark tones. A black Brompton is available. There have been "Black Editions" in the past. These black editions seem to have extra black seat posts and handlebars (and maybe black mudguards and some other black parts). Black edition Brompton's frame, fork or rear piece are not necessarily painted in black. They could be painted in any colors.

The sexiest Brompton, in my mind however, is a matt silver one like those all Titanium models.

The second eye-pleasing color for me is this raw lacquer color. I found this ebay Brompton from Germany and it was painted in raw lacquer color. I gave it a thought. Should I try to get it? It is a bit way out of my budget but it is not bad. The only thing I don't like about it is that it has M-style handlebar with corresponding M-style stem.

I bought a Brompton on ebay from Austria (an EU country)

It was late Thursday evening (November 3rd, 2023) that I checked on the ebay app search "Brompton" as I did so often for the last several weeks. I found a "buy it now" Brompton from Austria which looked not bad at all. The price the seller was asking was maybe modest and the Brompton was not too far away from what I wanted. So after a brief thought I bought it. I hope this time it arrives. Remember, ladies and gentlemen, the last time I paid for a Brompton on ebay, it did not arrive. It was a scam. I warned ebay and I got my money back (Money Back Guarantee).

Its specification is something like (as the seller did not write too much, in fact the description was terse) an orange mid-2010's (or maybe late 2010's) S3L-ish thing. It looks beautiful (the seller also writes so). The seller's written description is terse but the photos he put up were 16.

The last 4 photos show a Brompton logo bag with two caster wheels that seems like to be able to swallow a folded Brompton. Is this bag included in the sale? Do I get the bag along with the bike? I am not sure.

As I have already written somewhere, almost all (up to 90 %?? or more) the Bromptons found on ebay are from the UK. For someone like me who live in the economic framework of the EU, buying a Brompton from the UK incurs a import charge or simply tax to the state of Luxembourg. And the this tax rate is very steep. Impossibly steep.

So naturally finding an import-tax-free Brompton is a bliss. When I found this Brompton from Austria from a seller who was willing to ship it within the EU area, I knew that I had to decide quickly. I knew that this Brompton was listed on the ebay within a few hours as I had checked for them frequently. It was a new listing and the price was low. I checked the seller's hit point or the history and found this was her/his first transaction. The last time I bought one, I became a victim of a fraud. This scammer had also zero transaction record.

At least this item was covered by ebay's money back guarantee. The color was OK not great but acceptable. The spec was alright with the S-style handlebar, 3-speed internal gear shifting mechanism, so-called mark IV (after 2005 prolonged wheel base) and was clean. So I decided with in one or two minutes and began the process of paying. Now it is technically mine if it safely arrives, that is. Then it is mine physically.

Will it come to me in due time (this time)? Wish me a luck!

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ
[The last light?]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車（スポーツ用） - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2023/11/03(金) 21:48:39|
2. Bikes and related things
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